The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO — in conjunction with the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center — is offering workshops in January 2014 for union leaders and community allies that explain what so-called “right-to-work” laws are and how they harm not just union members, but all working families and their communities. States that have passed these laws have lower wages, fewer jobs, higher work injury and fatality rates, poorly funded schools and universities, and the list goes on.

FILL OUT THE REGISTRATION FORM for one of two types of workshops (3-4 hours each):

YOU PRESENT — A train-the-trainer workshop on how to develop and implement a presentation for your members/community.

CAMPAIGN DESIGN — A workshop on developing an educational campaign about the threat of “right-to-work” that does not rely on people coming to meetings. This would include organizing strategies, creative messaging, and other communications systems.

The trainings will be held in Seattle at South Seattle Community College’s Georgetown campus, 6737 Corson Ave. S., and in Olympia at the Washington State Labor Council office, 906 S. Columbia St. The cost of the trainings is $25 for the first person and $15 for each additional person from the same union/organization. Send more than one person so you have a team to work together! Each workshop needs a minimum of 10 participants and is capped at 25 participants.

One training sponsored by the Spokane Regional Labor Council will be held in Spokane on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at 510 S. Elm St. For more information or to register, email Beth Thew or call 509-327-7637.